Right to Repair: A boost for the consumer — but for the car thief, too

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Automotive Right to Repair bills would give independent repair shops access to the technical background necessary to affordably maintain cars with their dozens of microprocessors and complex software. They say. But be careful what you wish for. Just as Right to Repair gives you more and cheaper places to repair all facets of your car, it may also open access to the codes needed to unlock and steal your car. In Massachusetts, a Right to Repair question is on the ballot in the November election, although it was rendered mostly moot when the state legislature recently approved an R2R bill. Skeptics say the problem is overblown and repair shops for years have had enough information to repair cars.

High tech car theft is a serious concern in many parts of the world. A transmitter can send thousands of door-unlock codes to a car and if there’s no excessive-tries lockout, the door can eventually be opened. Videos show a diagnostics reader pulling ignition key codes from the on-board diagnostics connector and being programmed into a smart key chip that starts the car. Right to Repair opponents say greater access to the information about the car endangers the security behind smart ignition keys with integrated microprocessors (if your car key costs $100-$200, you’ve got one), engine-start interlocks, and manufacturer anti-theft systems.

BMW, the subject of many of the Gone in 180 Seconds stories coming out of Europe (Google “david beckham madrid stolen bmw”), says things are different here because BMW rigidly controls access to the ignition key blanks. BMW says it keeps them in secure warehouses and sends them out one at a time, to dealers, when a customer needs a replacement key and shows up with ID and the vehicle registration. Even if the thief manages to download your car’s key codes, it’s no good without a genuine BMW key blank, according to BMW.

The corner gas station mechanic says he’s an endangered species because of the complex diagnostics gear needed to repair cars. But it’s also 100,000-mile spark plugs and the greater reliability of cars overall. It was one thing when you needed a special wrench to take off one deeply recessed part of a Porsche and another for a Toyota since usually there was a workaround: the mechanic’s skill and more time and effort. It’s another when you can’t diagnose engine ailments without a $25,000 tester and a third thing when you can’t get all the information from the automaker to make the tester work as well as the dealer’s $50,000 tester.

The Massachusetts Right to Repair bill was passed and signed over the summer though it doesn’t go as far as the Right to Repair ballot initiative, especially since there are no sanctions for non-compliance, for instance. Some of the factions involved suggest voters skip the ballot question and even set up a website, SkipQuestion1, that trumpets, “Skip Question 1: Right to Repair is done. We all won!” A cynic might suggest the opponents would rather see that ballot shot down or win by less than the landslide margin that is expected so as not to embolden unhappy car owners in the other 49 states. Some surveys show 80% to 90% of Massachusetts voters support the R2R ballot question.

Support for Right to Repair includes repair shops, auto parts stores, and auto clubs such as AAA. Some insurance groups and Consumer Reports do not. CR says a decade-old effort, the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF), has become a clearinghouse for repair information that does a good job getting info to repair shops. CR also says there are few consumer complaints about independent shops not having access to repair information. Both CR and the Highway Loss Data Institute (supported by the insurance industry) say car thefts could increase with access to more digital car information.

Ground zero, physically, is the under-dash electronics diagnostics port that became mandatory with 1994 model cars. The 1990 Clean Air Act required an easy, standardized way to determine how anti-pollution gear was functioning. Over the years, the on-board diagnostics connector (called OBD and now OBD-II), is the connector that reports on virtually all of the car’s well-being and functionality. Just not enough to support Right to Repair advocates and too much for opponents.

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So.. You’re okay with cars containing DRM? Because that’s essentially what it is.
The most effective way to battle car thieves is to battle car thieves, not to battle access to your own car. Besides, if anything is to be learned from history it’s that any encryption can be broken right? Especially if it’s just a low-enthropy number combination.

Emile Nijssen

Okay, you realize that this article is basically worthless because you seem to believe in security by obscurity?

This is awesome news for security. Opening up codebases is the best thing that can ever happen to improve hardware and software security.

spinedoc

“if there’s no excessive-tries lockout, the door can eventually be opened” Am I smoking crack, or did this dealer shilling actually not realize the solution is quite simple, wait for it… install excessive tries lockouts?

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